This
month I'd like to cover a new (to me) author of
mystery fiction who has good potential for
transgender writing. She is Barbara Jaye Wilson,
author of a mystery series starring Brenda
Midnight, an up-and-coming New York milliner. She
is somewhat hard to find on the traditional
bookstore shelves, so the only book I've read so
far is her latest published work, "Accessory
To Murder".
As mystery authors go,
I found her mediocre, but her redeeming quality
is very quirky supporting characters. Brenda's
next door neighbor is Elizabeth (no relation),
who is learning to roller blade rather badly.
Elizabeth is in her 70's. Her ex-boyfriend, whom
she still dates, is Johnny, the newest star of a
television mystery series. And her best
girlfriend is Dweena, who used to be Edward, a
disgraced stock-broker. No one really knows how
far Dweena went with her change, but when Edward
was kicked out of his brokerage, he became
Dweena, and is now a bouncer at a nightclub.
One of Wilson's drawbacks is her
lack of descriptiveness and Dweena is no
exception. But she is apparently quite stunning,
drawing looks of the right kind on the street.
She wears a different wig every time they go out
and apparently is somewhat of a fetish dresser.
Dweena gets drawn into the plot
because she is the only one of the gang who has
her driver's license, though it is under Edward's
name. As the book opens, we find Johnny driving
with his learner's permit, and Dweena riding
shotgun. Brenda is in the back seat with Norbert
and Neena, brother and sister, who have asked a
favor of the gang. When they drive up to the
morgue we find what the favor is. They dump the
body of Norbert and Neena's uncle Buddy out of
the trunk and drive off. That sets the stage for
much zaniness to follow.
Dweena is a constant character
throughout the rest of the book, providing
excellent sidekick support for Brenda and much
titillation for us. I even think she displays
better detecting skills than Brenda at one point
in the book.
Barbara Jaye Wilson has written
one previous book that I know of, "Death
Brims Over", and one yet to be
published, "Death Flips Its
Lid". I don't know yet if Dweena is
a continuing character. She certainly appears to
be. Of course, your library lady will let you
know.
Another good book to take a look at is T.
Jefferson Parker's latest, "Where
Serpents Lie". You may know Parker
from his excellent work, "Laguna
Beach", or possibly "The
Triggerman's Dance". Parker is an
author I always read, even though he has never
had TG elements before. His characters are always
well-drawn and sympathetic, though flawed. He is
one of the best suspense authors working today.
In his latest, a serial child molester,
Horridus, has been attacking young children in
the San Francisco area. When he is finished with
them, he dresses them like angels, attaches a
snakeskin to their gowns and releases them. The
detective, Terry Naughton, struggles to put
together the clues before more are attacked. He
also, in Parker's inimitable way, struggles with
his own personal demons. This book is a rarity,
as authors usually shy away from putting children
in jeopardy, because it's too painful. But Parker
actually does this even though anyone who has
ever had children will flinch at reading this.
But he succeeds in capturing our interest and
even manages to create some very slight sympathy
for Horridus.
I don't want to go into too many details about
Horridus' background, as it is part of the
discoveries in the book. But it is right out of
one of our most enduring fantasies. However don't
buy or read this book for a thrill. Instead
expect to be challenged, as the logical
consequences of that fantasy are examined. Is the
effects of his childhood treatment a possible
consequence? I think so, though most won't go to
the extremes the villain here does. But it
disturbed me greatly and I think this book fully
expresses the ancient Chinese curse, "be
careful what you ask for, as you might get
it!".
If you've read the book, tell me what you think.
And as always, I'm looking to hear about your
discoveries. You will not find it easy to locate
one I haven't read. But some great ones have been
discovered by several of you. So keep 'em coming!
Bibliography
Parker, T. Jefferson, "Where Serpents Lie", Hyperion, 1998, ISBN: 0786862874 (Hardback)
Wilson, Barbara Jaye, "Accessory To Murder", Avon, 1998, ISBN: 0380788217 (Paperback)
Wilson, Barbara Jaye, "Death Brims Over", Avon, 1997, ISBN: 0380788209 (Paperback)
Wilson, Barbara Jaye, "Death Flips Its Lid", Avon, October 1998, ISBN: 0380788225 (Paperback)
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